Wednesday, 6 August 2014

Welcome sports romance author, Kristina Mathews...

1)What kind of music do you like?

I listen to Country,
classic rock from the 70’s,80’s, and 90’s as well as some contemporary music.
My favorite songs are the ones that tell stories. My iPod has the Eagles, Tom
Petty, Jimmy Buffett, George Strait, Lady Antebellum, and Dave Matthews Band.

2)Describe your dream home…

My 11-year-old son
is always asking me this question. He’s into architecture and drawing up maps
of subdivisions. I always wanted to live in an old farmhouse, until I lived in
one. It was originally a Pony Express stop, and had been added onto over the
years. Our bedroom was once the back porch and there were no level floors. The
final straw was when we turned on the heater one winter and honey from the
enormous bee hive in the attic started dripping down the walls. Since then I
have high standards of living—I require insulation, reliable plumbing, and no
critters living inside the walls.

3)Favorite literary hero & heroine?

This is a tough
one. I have so many. Usually I love whoever I’m reading at the time.

4)What are you reading
now?

At the moment, I
am proofreading my third book one last time (or maybe the second to last time)
before sending it off to my editor. I download the manuscript to my Kindle and
then try to process it as a reader. I highlight any mistakes and add notes if
it’s a big one.

5)What did you do on your last birthday?

I’m at that age
where they all sort of blend together. I think this last one was when I wanted
to go to my favorite restaurant but my in-laws came and it was too crowded so
we ended up going to a different place.

6)What comes first, plot or characters?

Characters always
come first for me, and then a situation. What do they want? What’s stopping
them? What is the big black moment and how will they get past it? Then the rest
unfolds along the way.

7)Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

Yes. I’m there
right now in my WIP. But the only way to move past it is to keep writing. Sometimes
exercise helps, too.

8)Do you ever want to be someone else? Who?

Sometimes I wish I
could be in two or more places at once. Usually when one kid has one activity
and the other has something else going somewhere else.

9)Tell us about your latest book?

Worth The Trade was inspired by actual
events. When the San Francisco Giants traded for outfielder Hunter Pence in
2012, he booked his own flight and took a limo to the ballpark as soon as he
landed. The fan in me loved his enthusiasm and the writer in me wondered who
could be in the limo with him. What if it was a woman? The new owner of the
team who was responsible for making that trade. What if they fell in love? It
kind of took off from there.

10)What’s next for you?

I’m working on
the next two books in the series. I’ll keep writing about the Goliaths as long
as readers want to read them. The nice thing about baseball is there are so
many different characters to draw from. The men are easy, they come to the team
through trades or free agency. The women are a little more challenging. How do
they factor into the mix? Do they work in baseball in some capacity and how do
I get them together with the heroes? I have an idea for a female groundskeeper
or maybe an announcer, but I need to finish the two books I’m already working
on, first.

Worth the
Trade

By

Kristina Mathews

BLURB:

After inheriting majority ownership of the
San Francisco Goliaths baseball team, Hunter Collins wants to prove to herself
and the rest of the league that she’s got what it takes to build a champion.
Her first move is to trade for a hot left-fielder. He’s got it all, speed,
power, and a desire to win. Not to mention undeniable charm.

Marco Santiago is tired of being the new
player in town. This is his fourth team in six years and
he’s facing free agency at the end of the season. He wants nothing more than a
long-term contract. Hitting on his new owner probably isn’t the best way to
secure his future with the team.

They’ll both give anything to get their
team to the World Series, even their hearts.

EXCERPT

“I’m only interested in winning the
division and making a strong run in the postseason.” She turned her head to
look out the window as if to show she was unaffected by the chemistry between
them.

“Aren’t you a rotten liar?” He chuckled
softly. Oh yeah, he was definitely getting to her. “Don’t join in the poker
game at the next owners’ retreat. You’ll be wiped out.”

She whipped her head around so fast the car
shook. “I happen to be a very good poker player. I can hold my own against
anyone. Anytime.”

Interesting. Her strong reaction told him
two things. She was insecure about her place among her fellow owners. And yes,
she was interested in him on more than a professional level.

“That explains your wardrobe.” He leaned
back, not ready to leave her just yet. “You dress like you do to fit in with
the old boys’ club. But you can’t hide the fact that you are all woman.”

“And you can’t hide the fact that you don’t
want to be here.” She dared look him straight in the eye, but couldn’t hold his
gaze.

“I’m starting to come around.” He gave her
one last smile.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Kristina Mathews
doesn't remember a time when she didn't have a book in her hand. Or in her
head. But it wasn't until 2010 that she confessed the reason the laundry never
made it out of the dryer was because she was busy writing romance novels.

While she
resigned from teaching with the arrival of her second son, she's remained an
educator in some form. As a volunteer, Parent Club member or para educator, she
finds the most satisfaction working with emergent and developing readers,
helping foster confidence and a lifelong love of books.

Kristina lives in
Northern California with her husband of twenty years, two sons and a black lab.
A veteran road tripper, amateur renovator and sports fanatic. She hopes to one
day travel all 3,073 miles of Highway 50 from Sacramento, CA to Ocean City, MD,
replace her carpet with hardwood floors and serve as a “Ball Dudette” for the
San Francisco Giants.